One-Shot Challenge
by Sir Dolan Death-with-Benefits
Summary: From August to September I'm going to be writing one one-shot (wow, so many 'ones') for every day of August. This could include pairings and ships of the main Pokémon series and pairings and ships of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series.
1. Shot One: White Bird

**Rules:** (Note: these are rules my friend and I have created) The one-shots have to be _**at least **_1,000 words. Stories must be One-Shot, meaning that the story is only _**one**_ chapter long. The stories can be any genre. Stories must be written and uploaded in the given month, and more than one story can be uploaded in one day.

**Chapter Warnings:** I have no idea what I'm doing, possible femslash - Elesa/Skyla (I don't normally ship these two), fluff, Pokémon death, general angst-y shit, probably some OoCness.

**Chapter Genre:** Angst, Hurt and Comfort, Tragedy, Friendship, possible Romance (depending on how you look at it).

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters from any of the Pokémon games.

**Author's Note:** Hello! If you thought this was a bit of a surprise for you, it was a bit of a surprise for me too. I wasn't even planning on doing this challenge this month (I was planning on doing it sometime in the Autumn). But when my friend told me he was going to do it this month and asked me to do it too, I kind of agreed without thinking about it. T_T

I haven't planned at all for this (well, I know what I'm writing last), so if you have any pairings you want me to write a one-shot of for this I'll be happy to do it. I'd also appreciate it as it'd spare me doing a 'spur-of-the-moment' thing. XD

I'm going to be writing down the genres for each chapter and set the main genre to 'General'. There are just too many genres to choose from for the whole thing.

I also apologise for this note being a little long. I kind of wanted to explain shizzle before getting right to it. They won't always be this long, I promise. I'll be leaving a word count at the end of the fic as well. c:

Enjoy!

* * *

**Shot One (Oh ha, ha, Dolan. Very funny): White Bird**

It was about a year after the second Plasma incident that it happened. Skyla had been challenged by a particularly strong trainer. For a while the two had put up a good fight until they were both down to their last Pokémon.

Skyla sent out her Swanna and the challenger sent out his Manectric. Despite the major disadvantage, Skyla and Swanna pushed on fighting, hoping…willing, that their strength and experience pulled them through. That was until Swanna took a large amount of damage.

A stray spark from one of Manectric's previous attacks had hit Swanna's wing, causing the Water-Flying type to lose balance mid-flight. The challenger saw the opportunity and struck, commanding his Pokémon to attack the bird with a powerful Wild Charge. The strength of the attack caused Swanna fly back right into one of the Gym's walls with a deafening _crash_! The battle was obviously over, but Skyla didn't care about that.

Her partner was seriously injured.

She ran over to the injured Pokémon and a horrible fear took hold of her body. The sight of Swanna nearly made her hyperventilate as panic began to rush her senses. Swanna's wings were injured badly. Feathers had been broken and there were cuts and gashes all over the poor Pokémon's body. Skyla scooped up Swanna in her arms and ran past the victorious trainer, ignoring his shouts and yells about his Gym Badge.

Skyla almost flinched as she dashed out of the gym and into a harsh rainstorm. The city was lashed with them quite regularly, and Skyla had always loved them, but she had never wanted a rainstorm to disappear so desperately as she did right then. Within moments her and Swanna's bodies were drenched, and Skyla tried to focus on getting Swanna to the Pokémon Centre as quickly as possible.

As she ran through the streets her feet pelted against puddles, soaking her feet and legs even more. People who were out and about shopping that day greeted Skyla from under their umbrellas, but the Gym Leader paid them no heed. Not when the lights of the Pokémon Centre were now in sight. She kept cooing and talking to Swanna as she ran, hoping that her voice would keep the White Bird Pokémon from falling unconscious. Swanna was one of her closest friends, she was a huge part of Skyla's life, and knowing there was now a possibility that Swanna could be seriously hurt terrified her.

Relief filled her senses as she neared the Pokémon Centre. She lunged for the doors, feeling brief impatience at the delayed response of the automatic doors, before dashing for the reception area of the hospital.

"Nurse Joy!" Skyla called out urgently as she ran towards the pink-haired woman.

Hearing the call of her voice, Nurse Joy turned away from her paperwork to greet Skyla with a warm smile. Before she could speak her smile disappeared at the sight of both the Gym Leader and her strongest Pokémon. They were both drenched to the bone, and Nurse Joy could see Skyla's shoulders trembling from the cold. She was gasping for breath as she held Swanna securely in her arms. Nurse Joy almost blanched when she saw Swanna, her wings were looking a lot worse than before.

"Audino, please get a hospital bed for Swanna." Nurse Joy requested urgently. The Hearing Pokémon immediately went off to find what was requested, and only moments later it returned with the bed, rolling it towards Skyla.

Nurse Joy carefully took Swanna from Skyla's arms and laid the bird on the bed, gently stretching out her wings. A fresh wave of pain must have seared through Swanna's wing as she let out a great cry of pain. The cry caused Skyla's heart to lurch helplessly at the sound. She turned to Nurse Joy.

"Swanna…she's gonna be okay, right? She's gonna pull through?"

"We won't know until we check her over." Nurse Joy replied seriously. "Please wait in the waiting room, we'll report back to you when we're finished."

The helpless emotion Skyla felt only grew as she followed Nurse Joy and Audino into the waiting room. She knew she could go no farther when they went through the double doors, and it only made her want to cry. What if Swanna's wings were permanently damaged? Would Swanna blame her? Skyla shook her head. It didn't matter if Swanna blamed her for this, all that mattered was Swanna's well being.

After ten minutes of waiting Skyla couldn't handle being on her own anymore. She used the Pokémon Centre's phone service and dialled in the number of the one person she could rely on. After a few seconds of ringing the receiving end finally picked up.

"Hello?" Skyla felt a little better just from hearing Elesa's voice.

"Elesa, it's me." She winced at how her voice shook.

"Skyla? Is that you? What's up?" Elesa's voice immediately became light and friendly.

"Um…I'm in the Pokémon Centre at the moment…" Skyla took a moment to breathe. "I…I had a battle with this really strong trainer. Swanna…she got hurt pretty bad. I didn't know who else to call. I think…I think it's really bad. Her _wings_, Elesa…they were so…" her throat suddenly felt constricted. Hot tears began to build in her eyes as she whimpered, "Dammit…"

"I'm on my way." Elesa suddenly declared.

Skyla blinked in surprise. "W-what? Elesa, you can't! What about the gym?"

"You're more important. It's the Mistralton Pokémon Centre, right?"

"Y-yeah, but-"

"No 'buts'. I'm on my way. I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Elesa, wait-!"

Skyla was cut off by the sound of a _chunk_ followed by a beeping, signalling the other end has been put down. Skyla sighed and put the receiver down before returning to the waiting room. About half an hour later Elesa finally showed up and entered the waiting room. She was wearing a designer, yellow raincoat dress with the hood up to protect her hair. Her eyes widened when she saw Skyla drenched from head to toe.

"Look at you!" Elesa exclaimed as she walked over to Skyla. "You're soaked. Why haven't you dried off yet? You'll catch a cold like this."

Skyla shook her head as her expression grew pained. "Swanna is more important."

Elesa's eyes softened. "I know, of course she is. But we need to dry you off. I'm going to go get a towel."

Skyla nodded and Elesa disappeared down the hall. She took her hair out of its side bun, allowing the russet red locks to fall over her shoulders. She replayed the battle over and over in her head. She kept trying to find a way she could have prevented Swanna from getting hurt so badly. The more she thought and dwelled on it the more the blame grew.

"Skyla?" Elesa said tenderly, causing the other Gym Leader to look up in surprise. "Here's a towel."

"Thanks," she accepted it and began to try herself off. It wouldn't do for her to catch a cold while Swanna was hurt.

Elesa took off her raincoat and sat down beside her. "Have you heard any news?"

Skyla shook her head. "Nurse Joy took her in there almost three quarters of an hour ago. She hasn't come out since." Fear became evident in Skyla's bright blue eyes. "Oh Arceus…what if it's really bad? Elesa, what if it's _really_ bad?"

"Calm down, Swanna is going to be fine." Elesa tried to assure her despite the feeling of uneasy concern. Just as she said this Nurse Joy finally walked back out of the double doors, causing both Skyla and Elesa to look up.

Skyla immediately stood up. "Nurse Joy, is Swanna okay?"

Nurse Joy opened her mouth to speak, paused and closed her mouth again. Her face was grave and she tried to find the right words before speaking.

"It's not good news." Skyla's eyes widened in horror. "Swanna's wings are damaged badly. The right wing can be healed, but her left wing is damaged beyond repair. I'm afraid we can't do anything for it. The best thing to do would be to put her-"

"_No_!"

Nurse Joy's eyes widened at Skyla's outburst while Elesa looked sadly at her friend.

"Don't…don't you _dare_ tell me that…" Skyla whispered harshly. Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and she had a terrible sick feeling in her stomach as she tried to process the information. "You're meant to be able to heal and help Pokémon. So don't you _dare_ tell me the best thing is put my _partner_ down!"

"Skyla, just listen-" Elesa tried to speak, but Skyla cut her off.

"No! Swanna has been with me since the beginning, Elesa. I raised that Pokémon from an _egg_! She was by my side when I started my first journey. She's my partner…my best friend, and I'm not agreeing to this!"

By then tears were streaming down Skyla's cheeks. She began to break down into hysterical sobs. Elesa circled her arms around her friend and pulled her into a firm embrace. Skyla simply clung to her and rested her forehead against Elesa's shoulder as she cried her heart out. To be told that her partner wasn't going to make it, that the best thing would be to let her go; Skyla felt her heart break in half, and that one half was about to die with Swanna.

As soon as Skyla had calmed down Nurse Joy took both her and Elesa through to see Swanna. She was settled on a bed in an intensive care room. Her right wing was bandaged and folded up like normal, but her left wing was spread out in a cast to keep her as comfortable as possible. All of Swanna's other injuries had been treated and dressed to prevent infection, but none of that would help now.

Skyla could feel the tears welling up in her eyes when she saw Swanna. The White Bird Pokémon opened her eyes and tiredly raised her head to look at Skyla. She let out a gentle cry for her trainer and Skyla immediately went over and comforted her.

"I'm here…" Skyla managed to whisper as she gently petted Swanna's head. "I'm here."

Swanna seemed to let out a sigh of relief before closing her eyes. Skyla let out a brief sob before bowing her head to Swanna's, letting out the faintest of whispers that only Swanna could possibly hear. "_I love you_…"

After a few more minutes Skyla finally managed pull herself away and nodded to Nurse Joy. She turned and walked into Elesa's arms, holding her tightly as Nurse Joy injected the lethal dose. Swanna's breath began to slow and she tried to focus on her trainer's sobs before finally falling unconscious. After a few more moments her breathing finally stopped.

* * *

The weeks that follow Swanna's death were a dark time for Skyla. She closed the gym, promising to open it in a few weeks, to allow herself some time to mourn. The first few days weren't as bad as what was to come. Skyla cried and mourned, and Elesa was often with her. A week later Skyla decided to reopen the gym, deciding she was ready to start gym battles again. Unfortunately her mood and ability to battle became worse. Her battle rhythm was lost completely, and after ten straight losses Skyla completely broke.

She lost the will to battle and to fly. The gym closed once again, and Skyla couldn't even look at her other Pokémon. She had failed them, she had failed as a Gym Leader, she even failed Swanna. The blame and guilt continued to grow.

"Skyla, you can't keep doing this to yourself." Elesa said a month after Swanna's death.

"Doing what?" Skyla asked somewhat indifferently as she sat in her living room reading a book.

"You're punishing yourself over Swanna's death. It wasn't your fault, Skyla." Elesa insisted adamantly.

Skyla slammed the book shut. "It _was_ my fault. I made the wrong decisions in that battle and I failed as a Gym Leader. I failed Swanna as well."

"You _didn't_ fail Swanna!" Elesa exclaimed. "You didn't fail Swanna with that battle, but I can tell you you're failing her now if you continue like this. Would Swanna really want you to mope around like this - blaming yourself until you can't stand anymore?"

Tears welled up in Skyla's eyes at Elesa's words. "What am I supposed to do, Elesa? Everything I do in that gym reminds me of her… It's too painful."

"You have to keep struggling." Elesa replied as she held Skyla in her arms. "It will be hard at first, but slowly, over time, the pain begins to lessen. It will never fully heal, but it will get easier as time goes on."

"I can't…I can't do it yet… I can't move on yet…" Skyla sobbed.

Elesa almost frowned, but nodded and held Skyla tighter. "I'll be waiting by your side."

* * *

Six months later…

"Unfezant is unable to battle! Beartic wins! Victory goes to the challenger!"

Skyla smiled and returned her Pokémon to its Poké Ball, thanking it before watching the challenger celebrate with her Pokémon. She chuckled and walked over to them.

"Well done. That was a great battle!" she grinned and presented the Jet Badge. "This is the Jet Badge, you've earned it. You and your Pokémon have worked hard to get this far, but don't get too comfortable yet. There are tougher opponents out there."

The trainer smiled gleefully and accepted the badge before nodding. "Thank you for the battle. I'll do my best!"

Skyla watched the trainer leave her gym, but just before she walked out she called to her. "Spread your wings, kid!"

The trainer cheered back and smiled at Elesa as she passed. Skyla blinked in surprise as Elesa made her way over to the Flying type Gym Leader.

"Elesa! This is a surprise. What are you doing here?" Skyla asked with a grin.

"Aren't I allowed to visit one of my closest friends?" Elesa replied with a fake pout. Skyla laughed and she smiled in return. "I assume the victor of that match has just walked out?"

"Yeah, she put up a good fight. She deserved it." Skyla said.

"Mn, Swanna would be proud of you."

Skyla blinked before smiling somewhat sombrely. "Yeah… Thank you, Elesa."

It was Elesa's turn to blink. "What for?"

Her smile became brighter. "For waiting for me."

* * *

**Word Count:** 2405

Oh my God, what did I just write? ;_;

*cough* Anyway, that's the first one-shot for this challenge. Feel free to leave a review and I'll happily read it! If you have any suggestions for what I should write next please leave it in a review. (I do have ideas, but not enough for the whole challenge xD)

Dolan


	2. Shot Two: Blue Moon

**Rules:** (Note: these are rules my friend and I have created) The one-shots have to be _**at least**_1,000 words. Stories must be One-Shot, meaning that the story is only _**one**_ chapter long. The stories can be any genre. Stories must be written and uploaded in the given month, and more than one story can be uploaded in one day.

**Chapter Warnings:** Slash - Chatot/Wigglytuff (PMD: Explorers of the Sky), humanised, fluff, probably some accidental OoCness.

**Chapter Genre:** Adventure, Friendship, Romance.

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters from any of the Pokémon games.

**Author's Note:** Hello again! Guess who's back with the second one-shot of the challenge?! :P

A shout out to NaturallyDark: Thank you for your review! I really appreciate the grammar and tense corrections. (How did I miss that first one?) I _knew_ got the second one wrong. I was unsure so I left it as it was. Thank you so much for that. c: I've corrected them now. (I even found a couple of other mistakes when I looked over it again)

I do appreciate it if you point out any grammar/spelling/etc mistakes to me. It helps me learn from the many mistakes I'll probably end up making. xD If you have any suggestions of who or what you'd like me to write about, feel free to leave them in a review or PM them to me.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Shot Two: Blue Moon**

Times were now peaceful in Treasure Town. The months that followed after the Nightmare Incident were sometimes quiet and other times excitable. The Guild was still busy with exploration teams popping in and out to look up missions on the Job Bulletin Board and on the Outlaw Notice Board, or to receive that reward for a mission they have already completed.

Guildmaster Wigglytuff sat in his office with a bored expression on his face as he looked down at the paperwork that needed to be completed. Being a guildmaster was good fun most of the time. He was allowed to set up large expeditions for his guild members and friends, go out for adventures, help exploration teams reach their true potential, and also help Pokémon in need. The one thing he didn't like was the paperwork that went with it. They were always so boring and were never any fun. Most of the time Chatot would help him with them, but his right-hand Pokémon was busy today.

_Chatot._ Wigglytuff smiled happily at the thought of the often flustered Flying type. The two were a _lot_ closer than they let on. Not many Pokémon knew about the true identity of their relationship, not because they didn't want anyone to know, but more of the fact that they had become a little too busy to always express it. With Chatot watching over the guild members and Wigglytuff keeping the Guild up and running, there wasn't exactly much time to able to do anything…_romantic_ together.

Sometimes when Chatot helped Wigglytuff out with the paperwork the Guildmaster would try to flirt with his partner (that's right, Wigglytuff can flirt), and most of Chatot would discourage it for the sake of the paperwork. But sometimes - _sometimes_ - Chatot would go along with it and flirt back (yeah, Chatot flirts too). The harmless flirting would then develop into a make-out session that would usually end prematurely due to Chatot reminding them both about the paperwork that needed to be sorted. Wigglytuff would pout like a child before nodding in defeat.

Chatot had always been that way. Even when they first met…

Wigglytuff gasped and his eyes widened in a surprised realisation. He jumped away from the endless paperwork and began to search for something in the draws of his desk. After a few moments of rushed searching he finally found his calendar and searched for the important date. His eyes lit up when he saw the Blue Moon was only two days away. Forgetting about his paperwork, Wigglytuff began planning for the special occasion.

The next day the Guild said their morning cheers before going off to perform their duties. Wigglytuff walked back into his office before walking back out again with a suspiciously heavy Exploration Bag. Chatot narrowed his eyes at him.

"Chatot, I need to go out and sort something," Wigglytuff said cheerfully, "can you watch the Guild until I return?"

"Of course, Guildmaster, but _where_ are you going?" Chatot asked.

"Ah, that's a secret~" Wigglytuff grinned before tapping Chatot on the nose. Chatot's cheeks grew red and hot as he looked away with embarrassment. Wigglytuff turned to the guild members who were still on the second floor with a wide smile. "I'll be back soon, friends~!"

They all cheered back and returned to what they were previously doing as Wigglytuff smiled at Chatot one last time before climbing up the ladder. Chatot sighed and shook his head. He'll never fully understand what goes on in his partner's head. He looked over at Wigglytuff's office and something began to irk him. It was irking him so much that he made his way over to the Guildmaster's doors and pushed them open, and immediately his eyes were drawn to the desk that was littered with unfinished paperwork. Chatot gaped in shock before trying to give chase to his sneaky partner, only to find that he was already gone.

* * *

Night was quickly arriving and Wigglytuff was still nowhere to be seen. Chatot was beginning to grow worried. All of the guild members had returned from their missions and were now relaxing about in the Guild, so why hadn't their Guildmaster returned? What could he be possible sorting that would require him to be out this late?

_Calm down, Chatot._ He told himself as he was looking over some of Wigglytuff's paperwork to keep his mind occupied. _He's a guildmaster. Of course he's going to be busy. Maybe Officer Magnezone has required Wigglytuff's assistance with a particularly strong outlaw? Maybe he's been requested to explore a dungeon that is far too dangerous for any of the guild members? Oh, maybe it's-_

Chatot's train of thought was abruptly cut off when Diglett's voice rang out. "Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

Chatot frowned. A visitor this late? He made his way out of Wigglytuff's office just as Loudred asked for the footprint of the Pokémon.

"The footprint belongs to Pelipper, the Delivery Pokémon!"

Once Pelipper was permitted entry into the Guild, she made her way down to the first floor where everyone was waiting. She smiled and hoisted the large delivery bag on her shoulder before pulling out a letter and handing to Chatot. "It's addressed to the whole of Wigglytuff's Guild. Explaining something I guess, the Guildmaster didn't really mention much before rushing off again. Anyway, see you all again!"

And with that Pelipper was off.

Chatot frowned and opened up the letter - wincing at Wigglytuff's terrible handwriting - before reading it out.

_Dear friends!_

_I won't be able to return to the guild tonight as my errand is taking longer than expected. Chatot will remain in charge until I get back, so be sure to follow his lead! And remember to have lots of fun!_

_-Wigglytuff_

Chatot frowned for what must have been the tenth time that day. What was Wigglytuff up to?

"Hey, hey, hey, what do you suppose the Guildmaster is doing?" Corphish asked.

"Chatot, has the Guildmaster mentioned anything to you?" Chimecho asked, turning to the Guildmaster's right-hand Pokémon.

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, even _I_ can't fathom what the Guildmaster does sometimes. For now we should have dinner and rest up for tomorrow."

"YEAH!" the Guild cheered.

* * *

Early the next morning Wigglytuff made his way to Sharpedo Bluff. The pink-head stood at the entrance of Team Dara's base and called into the large hole that led downwards.

"Hello friends!" Wigglytuff said cheerfully.

Lapis soon appeared and her expression lightened when she saw Wigglytuff. "Hey, Guildmaster. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you and Chikorita could watch over the Guild." Wigglytuff inquired with a friendly smile.

"Huh, us? You want _us_ to watch over _your_ Guild?" she asked incredulously. "I-I mean, we'll be honoured to and everything, but…wouldn't it make more sense for Chatot to watch over the Guild while you're away?"

"Mhm, usually, but Chatot and I have an errand to do together."

"Oh, well… I guess we _could_ do it…"

"Lapis, what is it?" Chikorita asked and the green-haired teen poked her head around the corner to see up the stairs. She smiled brightly when she saw Wigglytuff. "Guildmaster! Good morning!"

"Good morning!" he greeted happily.

"The Guildmaster wants us to watch over the Guild while he and Chatot go on an errand." Lapis explained.

Chikorita's eyes widened before she grinned. "Of course! We'll do our best! Right, Lapis?"

The Fire type rolled her eyes and nodded at Wigglytuff. "Do you want us to come over now?"

"Yes please. Let's go, friendly friends~!" Wigglytuff cheered.

Meanwhile, back at the Guild Chatot had gotten everyone up for morning cheers. As soon as they had finished Sunflora immediately asked the question everyone was wondering.

"Um, has the Guildmaster returned?" she asked with a worried expression.

"No, not yet. He should be returning soon, though." Chatot said.

Just as he said that Wigglytuff climbed down the ladder, causing the Guild to look over in surprise followed by a chorus of 'Oh!' and 'There he is!'. He was closely followed by Lapis and Chikorita who greeted everyone with a grin and a wave as soon as they climbed down.

"Hello everyone!" Wigglytuff greeted with a smile. He turned to Chatot with a gentler smile that only Chatot could understand. "Were there any problems in my absence?"

Chatot ignored the warmth in his cheeks. "No, Guildmaster. Might I ask where you went?"

"Like the letter said, I was busy on an errand." Wigglytuff chuckled before turning to everyone. "I'm afraid I can't stay for long. I need to go back out on another errand." The guild members - even Chatot - seemed surprised. "Chatot and I should be back by tomorrow morning at the latest. In the meantime, Team Dara will be watching over the Guild until we return."

"G-Guildmaster, what are you talking about?" Chatot demanded in a fluster. "You didn't mention any of this to me! W-we can't just leave the Guild so suddenly. Are you sure Team Dara are up to the task of watching over a guild? I know they saved the world twice, but so many things could go wrong, and what if-?"

"Chatot, it'll be fine." Wigglytuff assured him. "Besides, this is important."

Chatot blinked. "It is?"

"Yes. Team Dara, I leave it to you?"

Lapis and Chikorita nodded. "We'll do our best."

"I know you will, friends." Wigglytuff smiled at Chatot. "Shall we?"

Chatot nodded with the faintest of frowns. "I suppose. You two, make sure everything is in order when we return."

"Yes, Chatot." Chikorita replied while Lapis made a face.

The two made their way out of the guild and started to leave Treasure Town.

"Do we have enough supplies?" Chatot asked.

"Yep." Wigglytuff replied cheerfully.

"Do you know where we're going?"

"Yep."

"Where exactly _are_ we going?"

"It's a surprise."

Chatot narrowed his eyes. "You said it was important."

"It is." Wigglytuff pouted. "Don't you trust me?"

Chatot averted his eyes and sighed. "Too much."

"Besides, it's been a while since it's just been the two of us." The guildmaster said.

Now that Chatot thought about it, it had been a while since the two of them spent any time alone together. Maybe this errand would be good for them. He decided not to ask anymore questions and followed Wigglytuff's lead as they continued their journey. About an hour later the two were nearing a large forest Chatot knew as Midnight Forest. He knew this forest very well as it was the very place he and Wigglytuff had met. It was the very place where they had started an exploration team together, and that very night they stayed up to watch the Blue Moon.

Chatot gasped. _The Blue Moon!_ Today was the day of their anniversary of being an exploration team! "I-I'm sorry." He suddenly apologised.

Wigglytuff blinked in surprise. "What are you apologising for?"

"I completely forgot what today was." He admitted. "It's been so busy lately that I had forgotten all about it."

"It's alright, Chatot." Wigglytuff assured him with a warm smile before pulling the shorter male into his arms. Chatot blushed brightly at the sudden contact before returning the embrace with his heart pounding against his chest. It had been a while since they had any real contact like this and Chatot was going to savour it while he could.

"Let's go watch that blue moon." He murmured and Wigglytuff nodded in return.

They pulled away from each other, both with bright smiles, before making their way into Midnight Forest feeling lighter than they had in months.

The forest always had a dark colouration to it. Leaves, bushes, tree trunks, grass; it was all darker here, but not unpleasantly so. The forest had a peaceful, calming aura about it. It was never scaring or unnerving, and many of the Pokémon who lived there never attacked unless they were provoked to. Chatot and Wigglytuff made quick work of getting through the mystery dungeon, and when they finally got to the clearing something odd had been laid out. A large, square blanket that was coloured with blue, green, and yellow circles was laid out with four rocks at the corners holding it down, a basket full of berries and fruits was set in the middle of the blanket, and two plates with the Guild logo printed on were also set next to the basket. Surprise took a hold of Chatot's face once again.

"What do you think?" Wigglytuff asked with a smile. "It's simply but effective, right?"

"So _this _is what you were up to on that 'errand'." Chatot said. "You didn't have to…"

"What else were we going to do while we wait for the Blue Moon?" Wigglytuff asked.

Chatot gave him a hopeless smile. "I'm never going to fully fathom what goes on in your mind, am I?"

"I aim to be an enigma." Wigglytuff grinned.

The two settled down and tucked into the picnic. As they waited for the Blue Moon they reminisced their meeting and all of their explorations together. They repeated the good and the bad until a blue tinge suddenly engulfed the area. They looked up to see a bright blue moon illuminating the forest with its aquatic light.

"It's still as beautiful as before." Chatot said as he stared up at the sky's jewel.

"We should bring the rest of the Guild here one day." Wigglytuff suggested and Chatot hummed musically in agreement. "Chatot?"

"Yes?" he turned around to look at the Guildmaster and almost squawked in surprise when their lips met in a chaste, yet passionate kiss.

Wigglytuff pulled away with a gleeful smile. "Happy Anniversary."

Chatot tried to ignore the fact that his face must have been bright red and nodded with a small smile. "Happy Anniversary."

* * *

**Word Count:** 2290

Lapis is a Charmander in this. I wasn't really able to clarify in the story as it's about Chatot and Wigglytuff. 'Dara' is short for 'Darastrix' which means 'dragon' in a Draconic language.

As I wrote this ship I began to like it more and more. I really like these two, so who knows? I may write more of them in the future. c; I kind of want to write in further detail how they met.

Feel free to leave a review and I'll happily read it!

Dolan


	3. Shot Three: A Shiny Life

**Rules:** (Note: these are rules my friend and I have created) The one-shots have to be _**at least**_1,000 words. Stories must be One-Shot, meaning that the story is only _**one**_ chapter long. The stories can be any genre. Stories must be written and uploaded in the given month, and more than one story can be uploaded in one day.

**Chapter Warnings:** Darker side of wild Pokémon, child abandonment, violence (Pokémon battles), hard survival.

**Chapter Genre:** Adventure, _slight_ Angst, Hurt and Comfort, Friendship, Family (bit iffy on this one).

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters from any of the Pokémon games.

**Author's Note:** 'Ello, 'ello, 'ello! I got this idea from a short comic strip about a shiny Eevee, so I wanted to write about the life of shiny Pokémon in more detail. I didn't want to write about a shiny Eevee. I wanted to write a Pokémon that evolved without an evolution item/stone/trade and who's shiny form was very different to their original form, so why not Shinx?

Enjoy!

* * *

**Shot Three: A Shiny Life**

Life for a wild shiny Pokémon often wasn't as luxurious as life for a captive shiny Pokémon. For some wild shiny Pokémon, their change in colouration might not be as noticeable as others, so their lives might not be affected as drastically. For the shiny Pokémon who _did_ have a very noticeable change in colouration, their lives were very hard. Finding food might not have been a problem, but hiding from predators and enemies was.

As the sun started to rise over the forest in the Sinnoh region, a female Luxray dashed through the brush after a midnight hunting mission. The forest she lived in was home to all sorts of Pokémon as humans never ventured there. It was the perfect place to raise offspring, but that wasn't without its dangers.

After a few minutes of running the Luxray finally found what she was returning to. Thick in the bushes and greenery was a well built den, and in that den resting in a warm nest of leaves, fur and twigs were four eggs. All four eggs were identical with the same patterns. The top halves of the eggs were a light blue while the bottom halves were black, and an electric yellow, 'X' mark was almost printed onto the front.

The mother Luxray nuzzled each egg with a loving purr before settling down next to them, making sure every egg was against her fur. It wouldn't be long now before the eggs would hatch, and Luxray wanted to make sure every egg was healthy and warm. She rested her head on her paws and curled just a little bit more around her eggs and closed her eyes before drifting off, allowing the sleep that was licking at her mind to win.

It was mid afternoon when Luxray woke up. Like clockwork she woke up every day just as the sun was at its peak in the sky, cleaned and warmed her eggs, groomed herself from the hunt before, and then left to do her day hunt before returning at dusk to check on the eggs before heading off for her nightly hunt, and then finally returning at dawn to sleep. But today was different.

As she was grooming herself a glow caught her eye. She looked over at her eggs and frowned, the glow was faint and quick, and Luxray wondered if she had simply imagined it. Then it happened again. Her piercing yellow eyes widened in surprise then the 'X' shapes on all four of the eggs began to glow. The glowing wasn't constant, they would stop glowing after a couple seconds, but a few seconds after that they would start to glow again.

The eggs were signalling that they were about to hatch.

Excitement filled Luxray to the brim as she waited for her offspring to hatch and take their first breaths. Her day hunt completely forgotten, she began making the nest neater and warmer around the eggs, wanting the cubs to be as comfortable as possible when they finally hatched. Just as she was pawing at one side of the nest one of the eggs began to glow very brightly. Her eyes widened as she watched the cracks grow all over the shell, and then two more eggs began to glow brightly as well.

The first Shinx finally hatched and shook a piece of eggshell off of his head before looking up at his mother. They stared at each other for a moment before the newborn smiled and howled expectantly at his mother. Luxray smiled and purred before she began washing and grooming the Shinx's blue fur. Quite suddenly the next two eggs hatched, revealing another male and a female Shinx. Immediately after looking at Luxray they too began to howl. After washing and grooming them Luxray looked over at the last egg expectantly, waiting for it to hatch. The yellow marking was glowing on and off, but the egg wasn't hatching. Luxray began to grow worried and gently nuzzled the egg as if to encourage her young to come out. When that didn't work she looked down at her cubs who had hatched and were now calling for food.

After a moment of debate Luxray finally laid down and allowed the Shinx to feed. She kept looking over at the still glowing egg, hoping it would hatch. It was about an hour later when the egg finally hatched. Luxray's eyes lit up in surprise and delight when it began to glow brightly. As it hatched a different kind of surprise took over Luxray's face when she saw the newborn.

The male Shinx was a completely different colour to his siblings. The light blue fur he was supposed to have was replaced with bright yellow fur, his markings and tail were orange instead of yellow and his eyes were a deep amber. He looked up at his mother and smiled with a happy purr before mewling for food. Luxray blinked in astonishment before looking back and forth from her odd coloured son to the rest of her offspring. In the end she shook her head and picked him up by the scruff of his neck and placed him with his siblings, cleaning him as he fed.

* * *

Over the next week not much had changed besides the slight difference in Luxray's routine. Luxray would wake up mid afternoon and nuzzle her young awake to wash and groom them. After cleaning them, she would then clean herself and the young Shinx would use this time to play chase around the den. Luxray would stay with them throughout the day, guarding the den, chasing away predators and feeding her young when she needed to. Around sometime in the evening the cubs would settle down for a nap deep inside the den after a particularly large meal, and then wake up just as the sun had set. It was around this time Luxray would leave the den to hunt for herself. She'd warn the cubs to stay deep in the den and call out if there was any trouble before dashing into the night.

The first five days of this routine when by smoothly and quietly until the sixth night. Luxray had been persistently hunting a hard catch for a few hours, and her prey was finally tiring out. The Buneary was constantly on the move, and had finally decided to rest. It was still looking around anxiously, its ears twitching. Luxray silently drew closer, stalking the Rabbit Pokémon skilfully. Her bright eyes easily able to locate her prey in the pitch black night. Just as she was about to pounce a piercing cry broke through the night.

"_MOTHER!_"

Luxray gasped and the Buneary dashed off into the bracket. She growled at the loss before a somewhat hysterical concern took over her senses as she turned and ran as fast as she could back to her den. As she drew closer she could see the reason for one of her young crying out. A Persian was making its way into the den. Anger boiled in Luxray's gut as she lunged for the cat. It must have heard the sound of movement because it stepped back out of the den. It didn't even have a chance to dodge before being slammed into by the force of Luxray's tackle. Knocking the predator away, she stood in front of her entrance in a protective stance with a snarl. It was obvious she was prepared to fight for her offspring.

The Persian hissed harshly before disappearing into the night. Luxray still didn't move until she was sure the Classy Cat Pokémon was gone. She turned and entered the den and exhaled in relief to see her young unharmed. All four ran up to her and she nuzzled each of them before narrowing her eyes.

"How did that Persian know where you were?" she demanded to know.

The shiny Shinx looked down with a pained expression while his siblings looked at each other. Luxray looked over at her odd son. "It…it saw me through the brush."

Luxray growled before sighing. "I see. Never mind, for now you should try and get some sleep for tomorrow. I'm not leaving again tonight."

The four cubs replied with a chorus of 'yes Mother' before settling down in their nest to sleep. Luxray sat at the entrance of the den and glanced back at her golden son. A difficult decision was plaguing her mind. His fur stuck out too easily, and they relied on using the night to their advantage. If a Persian could see him through the branched of their den, what's not to say another predator, or even prey, couldn't?

* * *

Today - or night as it were - was the first day of hunting for Luxray's offspring. The Shinx were now old enough to start hunting for small prey like Bug type Pokémon. Luxray led them into the forest and was pleased with how well they were all managing to keep up. She kept glancing back at 'Golden' who was in a mini race with one of his brothers. Golden had earned the nickname from his siblings a few days ago, and it stuck with him ever since.

Luxray shook her head as they reached the hunting ground. She began to teach her young techniques on hunting, such as sneaking, tracking, following a scent, stalking and finally taking down prey. Once Luxray felt comfortable with the area she let them roam and try out their hunting ability. Several times during the night all of the Shinx nearly caught something. All except Golden.

Luxray noticed that every time Golden found something to hunt it always managed to flee before the shiny Pokémon even had a chance to stalk it. Luxray's fears became reality; Golden's fur stood out too much for him to hunt.

As they made their way back to the den Luxray tried to stay in the shadows as much as possible. There were a few fierce predators that even Luxray wanted to avoid at night. Unfortunately, her plan wasn't going to work. A pack of Weavile suddenly dart out from the night and surround Luxray and her offspring. She snarled and growled at them, her eyes glowing with animosity as she stood protectively in front of the Shinx. It wasn't unheard of for Weavile to come down from the snowy regions into these if they're in need of food. Luxray realised they must have spotted Golden's fur in the dark.

One of the pack suddenly lunged forward with its claws drawn and on reflex Luxray lunged forward with bared fangs. Her fangs began to glow yellow and emit sparks before their attacks collided. Luxray's attack proved to be stronger and the Weavile fell back against a tree. Another two Weavile lunged forward at the same time and Luxray raised the fur on her body before releasing a discharge of electricity at the Dark-Ice type Pokémon, electrocuting them badly. Three Weavile were left and they were all beginning to look a little nervous at how well Luxray had dealt with the first half of their pack.

Luxray snorted and narrowed her eyes. She had had enough and was first to attack with a powerful Thunder Fang. The Weavile she had aimed only _just_ managed to get away by jumping high, but Luxray used this to her advantage gave a powerful roar, causing the Weavile to fly back into the bushes. At this point Golden and his siblings ducked for cover when a remaining Weavile swiped at them. Enraged, Luxray threw a powerful discharge of electricity at the predator, taking it out instantly before glaring at the final Weavile. It flinched at glanced at its fallen pack members before fleeing into the forest. The rest followed in turn when they were able to.

Luxray turned and ran to her offspring making sure none of them had any injuries. She sighed before looking at Golden with an expression he didn't understand. Something close to pain appeared on her face before it disappeared. She led them back to the den feeling extremely cautious.

* * *

The next afternoon Golden and his siblings were playing outside the den with their mother keep a close eye on them. During the night she had made a difficult decision and it was time to follow through with it.

"Golden, can you come here?" she called and her son bounded over to her.

"Yes?" he said with a grin.

"There's somewhere I need to take you." She said.

"Can we come?" Golden's sister asked, but Luxray shook her head.

"No, this is just for Golden." The female Shinx made a face. "Stay in the den until I return."

The Shinx obeyed and disappeared into the den after saying goodbye to Golden. Luxray inclined her head at him to follow and they were off. Golden eagerly followed as his mother led him through the forest. Idea after idea kept popping up in his head. _Maybe Mama is going to teach me out to hunt properly? Oh! I bet it's something to do with my fur! Maybe there's another Shinx like me and I'm gonna learn the secret to it._ The ideas wouldn't stop coming until Golden had to ask.

"Where are we going?" he asked curiously.

"It's a surprise." Luxray said.

Golden whooped at that. He _loved_ surprises.

About an hour later Luxray was still leading Golden through the forest. They had gone so far that he didn't even know the way back anymore. The realisation worried him, but as long as his mother was with him it would be fine.

Finally, Luxray stopped and looked around. Golden tilted his head in confusion. What was his mother looking for? She nodded and looked down at her son.

"I need you to stay here for a moment. I'll be back soon." She told him.

"Where are you doing?" Golden asked with a frown.

"I told you, it's a surprise. Stay right here, okay?" Golden wanted to argue, but the stern look his mother gave him stopped him from making that mistake. She left and began walking deeper into the forest. Golden watched until she completely melted into the brush.

A faint nauseous feeling began to eat at Golden's stomach when she walked out of sight. He began to grow nervous but shook his head. "She's coming back." He reminded himself as he sat down by the tree he was told to wait at. The seconds soon ticked by into minutes, and about twenty minutes later Golden was beginning to feel antsy. Why hadn't she come back? He knew she was coming back, but what was taking her so long? His siblings must be worried about them by now. What if they leave the den to try and look for them? He shook his head again and sat firmly in place.

An hour later Golden was panicking. It had been too long. Where was Mama? Surely she should have returned by now? Maybe she got lost?

_No._ The rational side of his mind told him. _She's good at tracking and she'd know how to follow your scent back to you._

He stood up and looked around. His amber eyes were wide with fear. It would be dark soon and all sorts of predators come out after dark. He began to follow the path his mother took, but it was too thick for him to get through, so he decided to try and follow the path they had taken to get there. As he wandered through the forest he began calling for his mother, hoping maybe she might hear his voice. The sudden flight of a flock of Starly made him jump and yelp with fright and he began looking around hopelessly.

"Why isn't she here…?" he asked himself dejectedly. "She promised she was coming back. She would be soon, so why hasn't she come back?"

Golden began to wail and howl for his mother, but it was slowly beginning to dawn on him why he had been left alone, why his mother didn't come back for him. The realisation left a sickening, lonely feeling in his chest.

"Well, what's this?" a dark voice suddenly asked.

Golden made a sound of surprise before leaping back. Leaning against a tree only a few feet away was one of the Weavile from the previous night, more specifically the Weavile that didn't get a beating from his mother.

Golden could feel his heart hammering against his ribcage in fear. "Y-y-you're the P-Pokémon from last night…"

The Weavile chuckled nastily. "You're lucky my pack isn't here. They'd be on you in seconds."

"H-how did you find me?" Golden demanded somewhat weakly.

"I followed you both." He replied casually as he flexed his claws. "I'm a skilled hunter, so it wasn't hard. The rest of my pack waited back to claim their prizes from the den while I followed you two in hope of taking out your mother by silent surprise. What luck! I didn't need to."

"What are you talking about?" Golden asked with narrowed eyes.

"Don't you understand? Your mother abandoned you, kid."

Golden's eyes widened in horror. He shook his head as his world came crashing down. "N-no… I don't believe you… Mama wouldn't do that…"

Weavile let out a high pitched laugh. "She abandoned you, get over it! Probably because of your odd colour. I'll make it quick for you, how about that?"

The shiny Shinx shook his head again. Nothing was making sense. He didn't seem to notice Weavile drawing closer with his claws ready to attack. His thoughts were on his mother, surely she wouldn't abandon him because of his odd colours? What about his siblings, were they okay? If what Weavile said was true then they'd be in trouble. _Weavile!_ Golden gasped and snapped out of his daze just to see Weavile's claws swiping down. He clenched his eyes shut and waited for the pain to come, but it never came. After a tense moment he opened his eyes to see a body was standing over him, protecting him from the attack.

"W-what the…?" Weavile pulled back and glared at the stranger. "Who are you?"

The Pokémon didn't respond. It stepped over Golden to stand in front of the young Shinx before glancing back with its crimson red eyes. Golden blinked at the mysterious Pokémon before it looked back at Weavile.

"Hey, I _asked_ you a question!" Weavile shouted obviously getting frustrated with being ignored.

The white and black Pokémon still didn't talk. Instead it charged directly at Weavile with stunning speed before using the sharp, curled horn on the side of its head to strike its opponent head on. Weavile cried out in pain and was sent flying into a tree with a great _thud_! Golden gaped in shock as Weavile dragged himself into the forest. This stranger was somehow stronger than his mother!

Golden flinched when the strange Pokémon turned to him. It walked on four legs like him and was quite tall, but not as tall as his mother. Most of its body was covered with pure white fur while its tail, face, horn and claws were almost pitch black. Golden could tell it was definitely a strange Pokémon.

"Are you harmed?" the strange Pokémon asked in a masculine voice.

Golden shook his head as he found himself to be unable to speak for a moment. "N-no, I'm fine… thank you."

The Pokémon nodded his head before walking past Golden in the opposite direction of where the little Shinx was heading. Panic began to gnaw at his nerves again as the friendly - was he even friendly? - stranger began to walk away.

"W-wait a second, mister!" Golden called as he chased after him.

The stranger stopped and looked at him. "What is it?"

"Ah… I was wondering…" Golden looked down awkwardly before looking back up. "Could you help me find my way back home?"

"No."

Golden was shocked. "Why not?"

"The Weavile you encountered was telling the truth." The stranger said seriously and Golden recoiled at that. "Your mother has abandoned you, and it's to do with your odd colouration. The fur you have will hinder your survival and your mother knew that. She knew you would threaten the safety of her other offspring. _That_ is why she brought you out here so far away from your den. Didn't it ever occur to you on the way here how far out you travelled?"

Golden lowered his head. Of course he wondered why they were going so far out, but it never occurred to him _why_ they were going out so far. How was he supposed to figure that out? What was he supposed to do now?

"W-what should I do…?" he asked, voicing his thoughts.

"You survive." The stranger said. "You survive and you live."

"C-can I come with you?" Golden asked as the stranger took a step forward.

He looked back at Golden with a careful expression before looking forward. "No."

Before Golden could even speak the mysterious Pokémon dashed into the forest with that great speed he saw him use against Weavile. After watching him dash off with amazement Golden realised he was alone once again. The stranger told him to live and survive, but how was he supposed to do that with no den and no way of getting food? He was always terrible at hunting and dens take ages to build.

Just when things couldn't get any worse a large flash of lightning followed by a loud crack of thunder took over the sky. Golden yelped in surprise before sighing when rain began to pour down on the forest. He soon ran for cover.

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks that follow Golden wasn't doing too well. He hadn't grown ill or had received an injury, but he was having trouble getting food. Many times he had tried to hunt, but his fur had hindered him and the prey had gotten away. He had been living off of the berries he had managed to forage, but his body needed meat, he was now underweight.

Several times Golden had come face-to-face with a predator. Every time he had managed to get away by the skin of his teeth, but it left him exhausted and with no energy left to hunt.

He had made a decent den that was only big enough for himself. It kept the rain and wind out, and it even managed to hide him from predators at one point. He continued to follow the routine his mother followed when he used to live with her and his siblings. Wake up at mid afternoon, hunt until evening, rest at the den until dusk, head out for a nightly hunt before returning at dawn to sleep. So far the routine might have been the only thing Golden thought he was doing right.

But it would only get him so far. With the lack of meat, his body was becoming malnourished and he was becoming weaker. One day he had only been trying to hunt for an hour before he lost his energy. He couldn't move, he couldn't walk, his limbs ached too much and his stomach hurt from the lack of food. He simply laid down and waited for his consciousness to be taken from him.

When Golden woke up he was lying in a den he didn't recognise. As he looked around he realised he was in a snug cave. The nest he was lying in was skilfully made with sticks, leaves and grass. He blinked and looked over at the entrance of the cave to see the mysterious Pokémon sitting stiffly, almost as if he was on guard. Golden was surprised to see him. He hadn't seen the stranger since he had saved him from the Weavile. He had even tried to find the stranger, but couldn't find a single trace of him.

Golden stood up took a step forward. "Hello…"

The Pokémon turned and looked at Golden with those mysterious red eyes. "Good morning."

"You helped me again." Golden said with a shy smile.

"It appears so." Mirth appeared to be dancing in his eyes. "You struggled well."

"What?"

"I was expecting you to be dead in a matter of days, but you kept on struggling."

"I wanted to live long enough to see my family again." Golden admitted with a heavy heart.

"I wouldn't bother." The stranger replied. "Just focus on yourself."

Golden frowned at that but said nothing to it. "Who are you?"

"My name is Absol. What is yours?"

"My siblings gave me the nickname 'Golden', so you can call me that." He chirped back.

Absol simply nodded his head before lifting up his left front paw, revealing a piece of meat. Golden gaped at it before it was kicked over to him. He jumped on it and began gnawing and chewing with all his might, thankful to finally be eating meat. In a matter of minutes it was devoured and Golden licked his lips with content.

"Thank you _so_ much!" he exclaimed happily. Absol inclined his head again. Golden frowned before a wearing a nervous expression. "Absol?"

Said Pokémon looked over at him. "Yes?"

"Can I… say with you this time?" Golden asked hesitantly.

Absol continued to stare at him before looking back out of the cave. "I was planning on letting you stay." Golden's eyes lit up.

"A-are you being serious?" Absol nodded. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Golden exclaimed before bounding over to Absol and nuzzling his fur in gratitude.

Absol rolled his eyes before standing up, resulting in Golden nearly falling over. "We should be off. It's almost dusk and we have a lot of hunting to do."

Golden grinned nodded his head. "Right!"

* * *

Over the months that followed Absol taught everything he knew to Golden. He taught him how to hunt efficiently to conserve energy, he taught him how to understand the weather and use the terrain, and he even taught him how to deal with predators that thought of him as a tasty snack.

It wasn't long before Golden began to use attacks. In between hunting and learning the forest, Absol also taught Golden how to fight with his moves. The two battled every day to tone and improve Golden's fighting skills. Absol wasn't surprised when Golden evolved into a Luxio, but Golden himself definitely was. It was strange to see and feel a different form of himself. His colours hadn't changed, but his mane and black fur had grown, and his abilities and strength had increased.

Absol helped Golden learn how to control his new strength, and soon Golden was doing better than he ever had in his life. While his skills could never match Absol's, but he could hunt better, track better, fight better, he could live better.

He and Absol worked together efficiently. They always stored food when it was growing sparse, they knew all of the best hunting locations, they watched each other's back in battles, they knew where to find the cleanest water, and they even knew where to go to avoid humans. Absol had warned Golden many times before about humans. While to them his odd colours might hinder them, to humans they're a treasure. Ever since Golden had heeded Absol's warnings.

Until a cold winter day.

Golden was in their den trying to build their nest up to be warmer for them. Absol had left earlier to try and hunt something quick without Golden's 'alarming colours'. Golden had simply growled at him in a joking way.

Something began to eat at Golden's nerves. He didn't know what, but he was getting a bad feeling about something. Absol had always told him to follow his 'gut instinct' as most of the time it could be right. He left the den and dashed out into the snow. The forest was covered in a blanket of cold white. The trees were bare and there was barely any green of the forest peeking beneath the snow. Even if he wasn't oddly coloured he would still be at a disadvantage in this.

Golden halted abruptly when he found Absol's paw prints in the snow. His scent was relatively fresh, he had to be close. With no hesitance Golden jumped and began following the prints through the white forest. This gut feeling was telling him to find Absol quickly and he wasn't going to ignore it.

Golden noticed a steep drop up ahead and skidded to a stop. His amber eyes widened at what he saw. Three male humans in thick, winter clothing stood with strange spheres in their hands shouting and pointing at Absol who was glaring at the three Pokémon surrounding him. Golden recognised them as Medicham, Floatzel and Drapion. What were they doing? Were they listening to those humans?

He blinked when Absol finally noticed him. For the first time in his life he saw something he had never seen before: a shocked Absol. The Disaster Pokémon made a subtle head shake before focusing on the Pokémon in front of him. Unfortunately one of the humans followed Absol's gaze and saw Golden. The man's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Guys look, is that a shiny Luxio?" the other two men looked at Golden and the same surprise began apparent in their eyes.

"Holy Mew…" the second man murmured.

"It is! It's a shiny Luxio!" the third exclaimed excitedly.

"Run, Golden!" Absol shouted. "Get out of here!"

Golden narrowed his eyes. He was never going to abandon the only Pokémon who had given him a chance at life. Quite suddenly, Golden lunged off of the cliff and dived into the snow before charging at the Pokémon who were surrounding Absol.

"Medicham, use Force Palm!" one of the humans commanded and the Medicham followed the order, lunging at Golden with the attack. Golden easily dodged it before baring his fangs and using Crunch on the Fighting-Psychic type. The Medicham howled in pain before falling back as Golden turned to the Floatzel and the Drapion.

The Floatzel lunged forward with a Water Pulse while the Drapion lunged with a Poison Fang. Despite the double danger, Golden stayed calm and let out a powerful Discharge at Floatzel, causing the Water type to faint from the Electric attack. At that point Absol had struck from behind with his horn using a powerful Night Slash. The Drapion cried out in pain and jumped back, but was still standing. One of the men retrieved the fainted Floatzel with a strange red light as the Medicham jumped and stood by Drapion, obviously prepared to continue fighting.

"They're after both of us." Absol said quietly to Golden.

"They're after you as well? Why?" Golden asked in surprise.

"My species is a rare species." Absol admitted. "We don't originate from this region."

"Then where _do_ you come from?" Golden continued to question, somehow oblivious to their situation.

"Talk later!" Absol exclaimed before he and Golden dodged an attack.

Absol went for the Drapion while Golden went for the Medicham. It was ordered to use Force Palm again, so he decided to use Thunder Fang. Both powerful attacks landed on each Pokémon and both fell back heavily. Golden's body was shuddering in pain while the Medicham was knocked out. Before Golden knew what was going on, one of those strange red and blue spheres were thrown at him and hit him non too gently on the head. He frowned when it suddenly opened before being sucked away from the world into something… strange.

It was hard to explain the feeling of being in the capsule. It was like that feeling of being there, but also not being there. A strange light was flashing in front of Golden's face, and the more it flashed the more he felt suppressed. In the end he growled in irritation and hit the light despite the pain in his body before being spat out into reality. He landed in the snow once again and almost sighed in relief.

He stood up and looked over at Absol expecting to see him victorious against the Drapion. His eyes widened in horror when he saw his mentor lying in the snow defeated.

"We've got both of them now!" one of the men exclaimed in victory. Golden looked at the Drapion for help as a final resort, but the Ogre Scorp Pokémon simply smirked at him, causing Golden to glare back.

"I won't let you…" he growled fiercely as he stood in front of Absol protectively.

Just as the Drapion was ordered to attack a bright light took over Emerald's body. Shocked expressions were evident on the men's face as well as Drapion's. Absol slowly opened his eyes and watched at the cub he looked after began to grow and change shape into a more powerful Pokémon. Most of Emerald's body was soon covered in black hair and his mane was large and spiked up. His eyes became as piercing as his mother's was and as soon as the evolution was complete he let out a fierce roar that shook the trees.

"Did… did it really just evolve…?" one of the men whispered with a new fear.

Drapion had recoiled away from Golden at that sight of his evolution into a Luxray. The Gleam Eyes Pokémon narrowed his eyes and bared his fangs at his opponent, glaring at the humans for good measure. When Drapion was ordered to attack, it hesitated for a moment before lunging with a Poison Fang. Golden smirked and lunged forward as well with great speed before dodging at the last second. He then span around and dived for Drapion with a powerful Thunderbolt. Once the attack stopped both Golden and Drapion stood standing for a tense moment before the Poison-Dark type collapsed in the snow.

The humans gape in shock at the fact that their strongest Pokémon had just been defeated. One of the men retrieved the Drapion before smiling at Golden, much to his confusion.

"We're done here." The man said as he turned and began walking away.

"A-are you sure?" one of the other men asked. "Those two are some pretty rare Pokémon."

The first man looked back at Golden and nodded. "I'm sure. Let's go."

Golden frowned as they walked away. "Why did he smile at me? Why did they give up so easily? You said humans were annoyingly persistent."

Absol chuckled and sat up. "You earned that man's respect. Respect can overcome greed and persistence in humans."

"Oh! Absol, are you okay?" Golden asked when he looked at Absol, concern was evident in his expression.

"I'll be fine." Absol assured him. "I could probably do with a little bit of rest though."

Golden laughed at that. "Yeah, I'll go out and catch the best tasting meal I can find." He said as he helped Absol to his feet.

"I'll hold you to that." The Dark type smiled somewhat mysteriously at the Luxray as he began to limp back to their den. Golden frowned.

"What's that smile for?" Golden demanded as he followed him.

"Nothing," he chuckled, "nothing at all."

Life for a wild shiny Pokémon often wasn't as luxurious as life for a captive shiny Pokémon. But it was still just as special and unique.

* * *

**Word Count:** 5876

I hope the way I wrote about the natural lifestyle of the Luxray's was alright. As I was writing this I was about to put Luxray returning to her eggs and to sleep as the sun was going down, meaning she slept at night which wouldn't be accurate as she's the Gleam Eyes Pokémon. Meaning she'd be better suited at hunting at night. Whether she actually catches anything in the daytime is a mystery to me as well.

You also have _no_ idea how unsure and confused I was about the plural use for Pokémon in this. I even ended up having to ask a bunch of people and I'm still a little unsure now.

Feel free to leave a review and I'll happily read it. If you have any suggestions of who or what you'd like me to write about, feel free to leave them in a review or PM them to me.

Dolan


End file.
